Friday, December 30, 2016

The Road to Frosty Hollow

RJ Scott & Meredith Russell

Nick and Cameron face old demons, and find new love, on a Christmas road trip.

Former Marine Nick Sheridan is at a crossroads. With his entire life ahead of him he struggles to find direction and his place in the world. Car sharing to get home for his sister's Christmas wedding seems like a good idea at first. Spending the time with the man he kissed and left years before, maybe not so much.

Cameron Bennett lost most of his teenage years to cancer and he now lives every day to the fullest. He decides to drive from Seattle to Vermont for his best friend's wedding and capture moments of it on film. He hadn't planned on car sharing with the man who kissed him ten years ago, but somehow he ends up with a brooding Nick by his side.

Along the way, the men learn that sometimes life plans mean nothing in the grand scheme of things. Love can be found in the most unexpected of ways, and facing your demons head on is sometimes the only way to live.

Carra's Review

Now see, this is a wonderful example of sweet, sexy second chance holiday romance. It has characters you'll come to care for pretty quickly and want to root on throughout the story, a bit of tension coming from some unknowns in Cameron's life that cause some bumps in the road between him and Nick, and the constant hope throughout the story that everything will work out with a happy ending.

I loved both Cameron and Nick, though Cameron became the one most solidly cemented in my heart. Don't get me wrong-I really loved Nick. There was just something about Cameron that really spoke to me through every page of the story. The two of them together felt comfortable and right, so the bumps they went through as the story progressed felt like bumps in my own heart. They both have things to work through personally as individuals, and this combined with their past feelings coming back as strong as ever make their cross-country road trip more complicated while at the same time help to bring them closer together. If that sounds like it might make for some tension-you'd be right...and that's just another thing that kept my attention riveted to every page.

The Road to Frosty Hollow was a quick read, but it certainly packed one heck of a punch. Cameron and Nick captured my heart, and they've made this story land on my holiday romance annual re-read list. 4.5 stars, and I'd strongly recommend this to any M/M romance fan. This story is meant for readers 18+ for adult language and some steamy M/M sexual content.

Author Bios

RJ Scott is the bestselling gay romance author of over ninety MM romance books. She writes emotional stories of complicated characters, cowboys, millionaire, princes, and the men who get mixed up in their lives. RJ is known for writing books that always end with a happy ever after. She lives just outside London and spends every waking minute she isn't with family either reading or writing.

Meredith Russell lives in the heart of England. An avid fan of many story genres, she enjoys nothing less than a happy ending. She believes in heroes and romance and strives to reflect this in her writing. Sharing her imagination and passion for stories and characters is a dream Meredith is excited to turn into reality.

In the 23rd Century in the galaxy of Sigma Kappa, Kim Fortune was the first surviving experimental enhanced human—a regenerate. Aged fifteen, he escaped the lab and years later, his failings as a regenerate and the suspicion of regular humans, leave him lonely and lacking in self-worth. Stranded on an abandoned planet, the arrival of a stricken ship and its crew give him hope that he may finally find what he always longed for—love.

Christian Novak is a successful regenerate with all the intended attributes—including lack of human emotion. Despite their immediate attraction to each other, Kim's failing confidence, and Christian's inability to empathize are a recipe for disaster. But war, imprisonment, and danger throw them together, and after each saves the other's life, their feelings begin to change.

Can a seemingly unsuitable pair ever find love, or is a future together destined to fail?

Louise Lyons comes from a family of writers. Her mother has a number of poems published in poetry anthologies, her aunt wrote poems for the church, and her grandmother sparked her inspiration with tales of fantasy.

Louise first ventured into writing short stories at the grand old age of eight, mostly about little girls and ponies. She branched into romance in her teens, and MM romance a few years later, but none of her work saw the light of day until she discovered FanFiction in her late twenties. Posting stories based on some of her favourite movies, provoked a surprisingly positive response from readers. This gave Louise the confidence to submit some of her work to publishers, and made her take her writing "hobby" more seriously.

Louise lives in the UK, about an hour north of London, with a mad dog called Casper, collection of tropical fish and tarantulas. She works in the insurance industry by day, and spends every spare minute writing. She is a keen horse-rider, and loves to run long-distance. Some of her best writing inspiration comes to her, when her feet are pounding the open road. She often races home afterward, and grabs pen and paper to make notes.

Louise has always been a bit of a tomboy, and one of her other great loves is cars and motorcycles. Her car and bike are her pride and job, and she loves to exhibit the car at shows, and take off for long days out on the bike, with no one for company but herself.

Thursday, December 29, 2016

As snow flies across Ember Peak, Jones and Tru are making their own kind of warmth, but a family secret could send a chill over their future plans. Jones Hudson is ending the year the right way. He’s taking his sexy fiancé and his sweet dog on a fun road-trip to visit his mom’s new family. He’s found a groove with new friends at Ember Peak Ranch and his job at a local diner. And, best of all, he’s regularly basking in the flame-hot love of Tru Larkin.

But things go unexpectedly wrong when Jones uncovers news that may change life at Ember Peak forever. And when the secret detonates, the after-burn is more painful than he or Tru could have imagined.

Tru knows it might be too late to save the season, but he’s determined to move forward with his planned surprise for Jones. When a blizzard knocks out power at Ember Peak, he’s forced to rethink his ideas on giving and forgiving. Maybe it’s the gift of a simple vow that will burn brightest on a dark, starless night.

I very much love Tru and Jones together. They fit so perfectly and have some amazing chemistry. Here in Tru Burn, we get to see plenty of the two of them together (oh so VERY hot), and get to see just how deep the connection between them runs during the times they are apart and then come back together. The thing about this story is that it's mostly just an account of their time together from Thanksgiving to Christmas, and the angst factor is pretty low.Yes, there is a spot of drama with the "family secret"...but honestly, to me it just felt like a tiny blip in their relationship, not like something that would threaten them being together. It is so totally obvious to me how committed the two of them are to each other, and how much they love each other that I really was not concerned at all about what might happen between them. I was actually more annoyed with Sandra for putting Jones in the position she did.The story did let my attention wander from time to time during the moments that were just about day-to-day life, balanced with the times Tru and Jones are together-particularly after being separated by work and family matters-where the emotion of the two of them together shines through. This resulted in a 3.5-star read for me. I do recommend that this be read after Tru Smoke so you know the background of the characters otherwise you may find this story to be not quite as interesting. I'd recommend this to M/M romance fans 18+ for adult language and M/M sexual content.

Meet the Author

Although her extended family hails from the Rockies, the Plains, and the Midwest, Edie has spent the last ten years in her Green Mountain home. She seeks romance wherever and whenever possible.

After five centuries, Rafe Alexander knows what to expect from life--boredom broken by the occasional call from Shifter Affairs. No matter how mundane the job, he always accepts their plea for help. He knows what it's like to lose loved ones to the shifter trafficking rings decimating their species.

But the task that takes him to West Virginia changes everything. A human is dead. A shifter child is missing. And the human female connected to both tragedies is hiding a secret.

He needs to discover the mystery surrounding her. But the felines he houses--lion, tiger and jaguar--want him to get close to her for another reason. Jasmine is special, both for how she affects him and for the treasure she's been guarding.

And as danger mounts, he's left balancing his desire for revenge and his need to protect. But the line between them isn't always black and white, especially where his family is concerned.

Three centuries ago, Devin Moore sacrificed his sanity to save his sister. Every day since is spent in a constant battle of wills with the three crazed cats--lion, tiger and jaguar--he houses. Keeping his shattered mind together has taken its toll, destroying any hope of having a family, but he can't turn his back on innocents in need.

When information on his pride's missing child reaches him, he rushes to bring her home. But the rescue mission goes horribly wrong. Lena, the human female who turns herself into bait in order to protect the little girl, is wounded and struggling to survive.

In a desperate act, he saves Lena. But it doesn't erase his past mistakes. And for a broken man who's finally offered hope, there's only one thing left to do--prove his worth. The only problem? He'll never be whole. Or sane. But maybe...just maybe...even the damned can find peace.

Favorite Obsession (Royal Pride #3)

Centuries after what should have been a blessing from a goddess, Mira has gone from the chosen daughter to a woman shamed. She's found a tentative peace among her family and the females they've chosen to mate. And despite the potentially fatal consequences, Mira has found the one thing she never thought she'd have—love. Josh is the only male she's ever wanted, desired and burned for, and he's the only man she can never hope to keep.

One glance into Mira's exotic feline eyes and Josh is lost. She's everything he never knew he wanted and loving her becomes a passion he can't deny. The obstacles keeping them apart seem insurmountable, but Josh knows he's the man Mira needs. With every passionate encounter, every stolen touch, his certainty that he and Mira belong together grows. He'll defy every shifter decree and fight to his dying breath to convince those around them of the truth—Mira belongs to him, mind, body and soul.

A true romantic at heart, Nancy Corrigan is convinced there's a knight in shining armor for every woman (or man), but you won't find damsels in distress in her stories. She adores pairing alpha heroes with women strong enough to match them and bring them to their knees. She also enjoys flipping the traditional roles in romances because her motto is—love and people should never be forced to conform to anyone's norm.

She holds a degree in chemistry and has worked in research but now focuses on ensuring quality. She considers it the perfect outlet for her as she's the first to admit she has some OCD tendencies. It carries over into her writing life too. While engrossed in a novel, she has a habit of forgetting to eat and sleep. Fortunately, she's married to her own knight in shining armor who understands her oddities and loves her anyway. They reside in Pennsylvania with their three children, dog, snake and guinea pigs. Her other interests include tattoos, animals, classic cars and all things spooky and sexy.

Wednesday, December 28, 2016

Something There In Between

by S. Ferguson

Publication Date: December 19th, 2016 Genre: Contemporary Romance

Synopsis:

After a life full of cruelty, Bree is left with no one to turn to—except him.

Declan, who's suffered his own fair share of tragedy, sees the girl on the park bench with the sad eyes and Converse shoes as a kindred spirit —and a chance to redeem himself. He couldn't save his mother. Maybe he can save her.

But is Bree too broken to let him in?

Declan may be her only hope for solace, if he's strong enough to break down her walls. Will she risk letting him in ... or let her pain consume her?

This book is intended for readers 18 and older. It contains violence and references of rape and child abuse

Excerpt

That does it for me.

The idea that someone is hurting her causes a rage I’ve only ever felt once before in my life to flow through my entire body. I clench my fists and decide now is the moment I confront her. Is there another asshole bothering her now? Did her douchebag ex make an appearance? I will f*cking end whoever did this to her. I know without asking that Jake would have my back on that move. I’d be willing to bet money Ron would as well. It takes every ounce of strength I have, but I wait until the night is a little closer to being over before snatching her arm and pulling her through the doorway into the dark kitchen. I spin her around to the wall beside the doorway, leaning down so we’re face to face, eye to eye.

“You’re gonna tell me what the f*ck is going on, and you’re gonna tell me right the f*ck now. Is someone hurting you? Why are your knuckles all bruised? You been fighting?” I fire off everything at once, realizing I sound like a nagging girlfriend, but I need to know she’s okay. I NEED to get this off my chest.

Bree sighs deeply, her warm breath fanning across my neck, making me aware of our proximity. I have her pinned to the wall, my left hand is still gripping her shoulder, and my right hand is on the wall above her head. I’m being a bastard, and using my size to cage her in. I watch her closely for signs of fear, but she almost looks bored, and mostly just annoyed. I know she can still refuse to answer, but I’ll be damned if she gets away from me until I have my say.

She raises her eyes to give me an angry glare and I feel my d*ck twitch. Seeing fire in her eyes as opposed to the sadness they always carry makes her ten times hotter. F*ck, I’m an asshole. Something is seriously wrong with her, and I’m standing here getting turned on.

“I’ve just had a lot on my mind. I’ve been…training. You know exercising and punching a bag. That’s why my knuckles are bruised.” She raises an eyebrow at me, daring me to question her more. I smirk down at her…she has no idea who she’s messing with.

“You need to wear gloves then. You’re going to ruin your beautiful hands. You’re not actually sparring are you? ”I ask, my voice deeper than I intended. I’ve never been this close to her before, and my d*ck is currently trying to punch its way out of my zipper to reach her.

She glances down, and I have a moment of horror when I realize there is no way she’s going to miss my erection. I’m a healthy boy, and my jeans were already on the tight side. Her breath hitches, and she jerks her eyes back up to meet mine.

When I see the heat in her eyes, I swear I almost come in my pants like a teenager. Bree is f*cking turned on by me. I can work with this. Letting go of her shoulder, I put my hand on the wall, completely closing her in, and lower my head towards hers.

“I don’t fool around with Ron’s guys,” she says softly, making no move to avoid my quickly approaching lips.

“Good thing I’m not one then,” I say, my mouth forming a smirk. I’m now so close to her lips I can feel their warmth on my own.

“YO BREE, where ya at?” I hear Jake yell from outside the door. His voice is like a splash of cold water, causing me to jerk back, and the moment is gone.

“My brother is an asshole,” I grumble, lowering my hands to adjust my erection, and backing further away from her.

“Your brother just stopped me from making a stupid mistake,” she says, before walking out of the door.

If he risks his heart, can he keep his head in the game?To win gold, figure skater Alex Grady must train harder than the competition morning, noon, and night. He’s obsessed with mastering another quadruple jump, and due to the lack of filter between his mouth and brain, doesn’t have a lot of friends. As for a boyfriend, forget it. So what if he’s still a virgin at twenty? The Olympics are only every four years—everything else can wait. Relationships are messy and complicated anyway, and he has zero room in his life for romance.So it’s ridiculous when Alex finds himself checking out his boring new training mate Matt Savelli. Calm, collected “Captain Cardboard” is a nice guy, but even if Alex had time to date, Matt’s so not his type. Yet beneath Matt’s wholesome surface, there’s a dirty, sexy man who awakens a desire Alex has never experienced and can’t deny…Note: This gay romance from Keira Andrews features opposites attracting, new adult angst, sexual discovery, and of course a happy ending.

I'll admit, growing up I was one of those people who would seek out the ice skating competitions on television, particularly during the Olympics, as I would be totally entranced seeing the skaters perform. Now, not so much. But a romance story between two male skaters set with the backdrop of making it to the Olympics? You can bet I snagged this one right up!

It was interesting seeing a bit behind the scenes of what goes on in the competitive skating world, and it made for a nice bit of tension in this story. With the pressure Alex and Matt are under, and the devastating emotions Matt comes to experience, the stage is set for some really intense interactions between the two-especially since Alex has almost no experience being with someone else, even at his age. He's been so dedicated to his skating that there's been no room for anything else.

The two of them together go from barely cordial to acquaintance-like to downright naughty over time, so things between them don't feel rushed. The chemistry is definitely there, and I really loved Alex and Matt as a couple. Their intimate scenes are heated and intense, which is contrasted with their public interactions where they try to keep things between them quiet (each for their own reasons). It does put strain on their relationship, which keeps the tension running high-particularly as the Olympics draw closer. The fact that Matt and his family do not acknowledge his relationship "preferences" adds yet another level of stress, and is just another reason I was glued to this story as I read.

The Next Competitor was an excellent read for me, and my final rating is somewhere between 4 and 4.5 stars. It's definite re-read material for the future. I'd most definitely recommend this story to M/M romance fans (and if you're a competitive ice skating fan, even better!), and it is meant for readers 18+ for adult language and M/M sexual content.

Synopsis

--- The lumberjack of his dreams is now available for rent. ---

Mr. B has always been a safe guy for Jo to crush on. He’s the cutest bearded lumber-god to salivate over. Add to that his friendly, outgoing personality, and Mr. B might just be the first guy Jo would be willing to kiss. Fortunately, Mr. B has been in a relationship for years, and Jo is no home-wrecker.But when Mr. B breaks up with his partner and all of a sudden is single, available, and talks about his plans to be sexually adventurous, Jo isn’t so sure anymore if he has the guts to come out as bisexual.After a sour breakup, Mr. B wants to show his ex that he’s independent, exciting, and can do very well without him. His best friend Jo is there to the rescue, and they come up with a great new business venture. One thing they lack to start their own line of artisanal boozy jams - money for the investment.After a drunken brainstorming session, Mr. B finds a way to both gather the cash and show the middle finger to his ex. He will create a one of a kind Hipster Brothel - The Lumbersexual Experience - offering wood chopping lessons, pipe smoking, and a reclaimed wood bed where the magic would happen. It’s bound to be a success… if only Mr. B can go through with it, because the mixed signals from Jo are making him wonder if his best friend is as straight as he always seemed.WARNING: Explicit content, strong language. A shameless amount of buzzwords. May cause second-hand embarrassment.

Meet the Author

K.A. Merikan is the pen name for Kat and Agnes Merikan, a team of writers, who are mistaken for sisters with surprising regularity. Kat’s the mean sergeant and survival specialist of the duo, never hesitating to kick Agnes’s ass when she’s slacking off. Her memory works like an easy-access catalogue, which allows her to keep up with both book details and social media. Also works as the emergency GPS. Agnes is the Merikan nitpicker, usually found busy with formatting and research. Her attention tends to be scattered, and despite being over thirty, she needs to apply makeup to buy alcohol. Self-proclaimed queen of the roads.

They love the weird and wonderful, stepping out of the box, and bending stereotypes both in life and books. When you pick up a Merikan book, there’s one thing you can be sure of - it will be full of surprises.e-mail: kamerikan@gmail.comMore information about ongoing projects, works in progress and publishing at:

Check Amazon for your stuff:

Try Kindle Unlimited!

Amazon

Just so you know...

The legal stuff: Carra Saigh is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.